Battery-plate separator.



Nos 792.612.

i NITE sum Patented June 20, l 905;

HENRY C. PORTER, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASS IGNOR T0 EVANSVILLE BATTERY & ELECTRIC COMPANY,

PORATLON OF INDIANA.

OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, A COR- BATTE WPLA E sseaaaroa.

sr ncrrrcn'rron forming part of. Letters Patent No. 792,612, dated am-1905.

Application filed August 19,1904. Serial No. 221,367.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Wauke an, in the county of Lake an State of Illmois, have invented certain new and use- 'ful Im rovements' in Battery-Plate Separators, 0 which the following is a specification. I This invention relates to battery plate separators intended for use in secondary batteries, and has for its primary obi ect the production of a cheap and durab e separator that shall prevent short-circuiting of the battery-plates or of the active material placed thereon and shall also permit'free circulation of the electrolytic fluid in the battery and at the same time serve to arrest the washing action thereofwhen the battery is used portably. It will also afford a permanent egress for the gases resulting from the action of the,battery. These and such other objects as' may hereinafter appear are attained by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a separator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan view thereof, showing battery-plates on opposite sides of the separator. Fig. 3 is an end view of the separator, and Fig. 4 is a detail showing one corner of the separator inperspective.

Like letters of reference refer to the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, hard rubber, celluloid, or other insulating material of any suitable shape or dimension,

and B vertical rods of hard rubber, celluloid or other material removably secured to the plate'A, preferably near the side edges thereof and at two or more points intermediate thereto. I provide theplate A with a series of loops 0, inte ral therewith, formed by two horizontal parajlel cuttings in the plate; The plate is then bent and the cut portion bent oppositely thereto outwardly, formin loops for the insertion of the rods B. If esired, the sheets either before or after the plates arecut may be placed in a suitable mold,

subjected to a proper degree A indicates a perforated plate of.

of heat, and formed into a series of reversed curves or made to assume a corrugated form, the highest oints'of elevation and the lowest points of epression being in the vertical lines connecting the centers of the cut portions.

It will be understood that'the rods 13 are located at opposite sides of the plate A in staggered relation to each other, so that when the separator is placed between a pair of plates 1n a stora e battery, as shown in Fig. 2, the battery-iates will not only be separated from eac other, but also separated from the plate A.

The configuration of the rods and plates is c of course immaterial; but as it is desirable to reduce the contacting surfaces thereof with the battery-plates to the minimum I prefer to use circular rods, as illustrated in the drawings, as these rods are very cheap to produce and also present a rmmmum contacting surface with the battery-plates.

The sheet A is referably manufactured of thin celluloid or ard rubber, and by its use in connection with the rods I am enabled to provide a thoroughly efficient separator at a much less cost than any now on the market.

In order to provide a free circulation of the electrolytic fluid, the plate A must be perforated; but the portion unperforated may interpose sufiicient obstruction to prevent the Washing of the fluid back and forth against the plates when the battery is portably mounted. Y

The rods B serve to strengthen and stiffen the plates A and also cover a sur face on the battery-plates, thus exposing the maximum uantity of the usual active material to the Electrolytic fluid, while materially assisting in holding the active material on the battery-plates themselves and at the same time kee ing the battery-plates D properly separate from each other, forming vertical channels the gases resultingfrom theaction 0 the battery are free to esca c. This last-mentioned advantage is of we -recognized importance in storage batteries, as the gasesif not perbetween the plates through which l f a a tenets mitted tree escape from the electrolytic fluid insulating material. arranged vertically and 35 Will iorrn bubbles on the surface of the plate, in staggered relation is on opposite sides of create internal resistance, lessen the surface said sheet, whereby as d sheet is lrept bent of active material exposed, and correspondintoa series of reverse curves. ingl reduce the eficiency of the battery and 3. As a new article of manufacture, a sepadise arge therefrom. lit is therefore es erater for battery-plates composed of a sheet 4o cially desirable in the use of separators that of insulating" material and 'a pluralit oi bars, While the plates shall be held separate from also composed of insulati materia secured one another andthe active materialshall be in staggered relation on oth sides of the held upon the battery-plate the fiuid'should sheet by passing throuh a series of loops have iree circulation in the battery, but be formed integrally with to plate itself.- 45 restrained from such a Wasg action as As a new article of manuiacture, a sepa- Would tend to dislodge the active material rator iorbattery-plates composed of a perils-- from the plates. rated sheet of insulatin material and a plu- Economy in theconstruction of these separality of vertical bars, a so composed of insurators is of great importance, for the reason lating material, secured in staggered relation 5e that a large number of separators is needed on both sides of the sheet by passing throu h in the construction of storage batteries. y it a series of loopsformed integrally With t e Will be readilyseen that a battery using ase plate itself. arator that is eficient and that can be manu- 5. As a new article of manufacture, a sepaiactured for a considerably less cost than an rater for battery-' lates composed of a perfo- 55 now on the market Will be of commercial a rated sheet of ins ating material formed into vanta e in competition ivith batteries of the a series of reversed curves, and a plurality of same d and class. a vertical bars, also composed of insulatingmal claimterial, secured in staggered relation on both 1. i A separator for batterylatescomprissides of the sheet by passing throu h a series 60 ing a seli-su porting flexible sheet of insulatof loops formed integrally with the fiateitself, ing materia and a plurality of bars arranged and located opposite the points of highest vertically anofl in site gered ielajiion updonhopcurvature.

osite si es o sai s set, W ere y sai s set it, kept bent into a series of reversed curves. I HENRY PORTER 2. A batter -plate separator compris' a Witnesses: Y perforated sed-su porting flexible sheet of F. H. DnUnY, insulating materia and a plurality oi bars of U. R. BARNETT. 

